Chicago Ex-Cop Who Killed 17-Year-Old Laquan McDonald Gets Early Prison Release

Jason Van Dyke, a white Chicago cop convicted in the fatal shooting of Black teen Laquan McDonald, has been released from prison early.

Van Dyke was released Thursday morning after spending roughly three years and four months behind bars, according to comments given to the Associated Press by a spokesperson for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.

In January 2019, Van Dyke was sentenced to nearly seven years after the previous year’s conviction on second-degree murder and aggravated battery. At the time, attorneys “on both sides” were said to have agreed that Van Dyke’s behavior in prison could result in an early release. By January of this year, Van Dyke’s early release date of Feb. 3 had been confirmed.

Laquan McDonald, 17, was shot and killed by Jason Van Dyke in October 2014, with dashcam video showing the officer shot the teen 16 times.

This story is being updated.